Describing and Evaluating Curriculum: I. Identifying Skills, Goals, Experiences, Content and Values II. Curriculum Maps and Matrices Randy Richardson Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona (with thanks to Mary Savina, Carleton College) AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

Predicting the future: What will the next 15 years hold in geoscience and geoscience education? More interested in applications More collaboration Different and broader career paths More societal relevance More complex data management tasks (from Beyond Earth System Science - Kip Hodges, 2007)Beyond Earth System Science - Kip Hodges, 2007 AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

Trends in Higher Education Changing nature of the student body, Change in what it means to be an “educated person,” Emphasis on skills and habits of mind rather than content, Recognizing learning outside the classroom, A more cohesive and coherent first year experience, a capstone. (thanks to Chico Zimmerman, Perlman Center for Learning and Teaching, Carleton College) AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

Thinking About Curriculum – Model #1 Emphasizing individual course titles and content: –Introductory geology (audience) –Specialized geoscience courses OR AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

Thinking About Curriculum - Model #2 Emphasizing sequence and student intellectual development – –What are good second level courses? –What work as advanced courses? –What should students carry from one class to the next? OR AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

Thinking About Curriculum – Model #3 – Identifying: Skills –Geoscience-specific –General Experiences Goals Values “Threshold concepts” (Randy Bass, Georgetown University) – (What are the central ideas from geoscience that are important to all students (majors and non- majors))? Other Content AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

First fundamental question: What do you want your (seniors, graduates, alumni) to be able to do? First exercise: Defining goals, values, experiences, skills, knowledge (about 10 minutes of independent/small group work followed by 15 minutes of post-it organizing and reporting out). AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

Student Learning Outcomes: Student Learning Outcomes California State University, Chico Students will be able to... Determine the physical and chemical composition of earth materials and the processes that produced them. –Identify and fully describe rocks ( AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

Second fundamental question: Where in the curriculum (or co-curriculum) do students get these skills, experiences, etc.? Using the curricular map: Two Examples ( Visiting Workshop Program,

A matrix approach to curricular design This matrix concept has been used by the geology departments at Carleton and at College of William & Mary, as well as by other Carleton departments. AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

Another version of the general matrix AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

A breakdown of one category A = always; S = sometimes AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

Second fundamental question, con’t: Exercise 2 Mapping curriculum and identifying where in curriculum experiences, goals, etc. are situated (about 20 minutes of independent and small group work on the maps and matrix). AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

Thinking about assessment Use the capstone projects –Subjects and methods –Sources and experiences Use the department review process Check in with alumni Evaluate the course content AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

Managing the department discussion – barriers and obstacles Identify principles and broadest learning objectives Identify skills, experiences, goals, values, threshold concepts, content areas Diagram or map structure of the major – as it is Identify the curricular (or co-curricular) locations of the skills, etc. Affirm (or at least acknowledge) perennial debates Check in with institutional and broader higher ed priorities Repeat more often than you think you need AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009

Connecting with institutional initiatives Importance of cross-cutting skills – not just “general education,” but also in major Quantitative reasoning, Writing Across the Curriculum, visuality, academic civic engagement, ethics, sustainability.... (Carleton has between eight and twenty, depending on who is counting) AGU Heads & Chairs, 2009